What to expect from Amazon’s big Alexa event this week

Amazon is due to hold a press event this week, where it is expected to launch its new AI-infused Alexa voice assistant, alongside a new Echo speaker and other hardware devices.
After months of delays and rumours surrounding poor performance, the event could represent a transformational moment for the AI, or a major disappointment, with competitors such as Siri and Google Assistant integrating more effectively.
Amazon’s new Alexa should be able to interpret context, respond to multiple requests in a single command, and take action on your behalf, with more integrated smart home capabilities.
It is possible that Amazon will begin to charge a subscription fee for access to the new Alexa, following a report that the company believes a $5 - 10 m o n t h l y f ee w o u l d g e n er a t e$ 600 million in annual revenue.
Amazon’s biggest challenge will be to improve the usefulness of Alexa, which currently lacks the personal context that other assistants have by being linked to users’ phones.
The event begins at 10AM on Wednesday, February 26, in New York City, and will be hosted by Amazon’s new devices and service chief Panos Panay.

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